1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that are used to hold eyeglass frames to the head of a wearer. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that enable eyeglass frames to be raised and lowered without removing the eyeglass frames from the head.
2. Prior Art Description
Eyeglasses are worn by many people for many reasons. For example, protective eyeglasses are often worn by workers to prevent flying debris from contacting the eye. Sunglasses are worn by people seeking protection from the glare of the sun. Corrective eyeglasses are worn by people who need lenses in order to see objects clearly. Regardless of the reason why eyeglasses are worn, most people do not need the glasses at all times. For example, a person who needs eyeglasses to read small print may not need those glasses when walking around. Likewise, people who need to wear sunglasses do not need those glasses when the sun is shaded.
In life, many people simply raise eyeglasses onto the tops of their heads when those eyeglasses are not needed. In this manner, the eyeglasses can be quickly and easily dropped into place when needed. However, when eyeglasses are raised to the top of the head, the eyeglasses lose the support of the wearer's nose. The eyeglasses therefore may become loose on the head and can easily fall off the head.
In the prior art, eyeglass assemblies have been designed that enable eyeglasses to be raised on the head while still maintaining a firm interconnection between the wearer's head and the eyeglasses. This is often done by placing hinges in the temple elements of the eyeglasses. The hinges enable the eyeglasses to be raised and lowered without adversely affecting the manner in which the eyeglasses secure around the ears of the user. Such prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,056 to Bovee, entitled Eyeglasses With Mid-Temple Hinge; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,282 to Chen, entitled Eyeglass Temple Assembly.
The obvious problem with such prior art eyeglass designs is that the design requires a specialized frame that contains the hinge elements. In this manner, a person's regular reading glasses, sunglasses and/or safety glasses cannot be worn. Rather, new specialized glasses must be manufactured. This can be a large inconvenience and expense to the wearer.
Another problem with such prior art designs is that the eyeglasses are still not firmly secured to the wearer's head when the lenses of the eyeglasses are raised. In the previously cited U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,282 to Chen, this problem is addressed by securing the eyeglass frames to the ear canal with earplugs. However, this adversely affects the ability of a person to hear and is therefore highly undesirable.
A need therefore exists for a system and method that enables eyeglasses to be securely worn on the head while enabling the lenses of the eyeglasses to be selectively raised to the top of the head. A need also exists for such a system that does not block the wearer's ear canal and inhibit hearing. Lastly, a system is needed that secures eyeglasses to the head, enables the eyeglasses to be raised and lowered, and works with standard eyeglass frames. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.